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隨後的幾天,我幾乎都待在〈白城〉城堡花園摸熟四周的環境。121Please respect copyright.PENANA8DEnIdg5jp
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等到我對這座花園的地形瞭若指掌後,我向王子殿下的貼身女侍——吉莎小姐——借了鏟子和其他工具,並且向她表示我想重整花園的意願。她一言不發就同意我的請求,甚至還派了幾名侍女協助我進行翻土作業。121Please respect copyright.PENANAAjccZvyDuc
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雖然吉莎小姐講話的口吻總是冷冰冰的,還時常對身旁的人或事物做出尖酸刻薄的評論,但我卻能在許多小地方感覺得到她的細心,就像她替我們準備餐點時所展現出的專注和洞察力一樣。121Please respect copyright.PENANA1Ppl9texYJ
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某天早上,殿下起床後正好去外頭做野獸人宗教的晨間禮拜,而我則一個人待在房間內對至尊陛下做晨禱。121Please respect copyright.PENANAWURsX8BCLW
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過了一會後,房門被打開的聲音傳入我耳中。121Please respect copyright.PENANATsVz1esPHC
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框啷!121Please respect copyright.PENANAhGtmbJF6wl
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清脆的撞擊聲隨之響起。121Please respect copyright.PENANAlnH1R7Gidk
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框啷!121Please respect copyright.PENANAGaJg8jBY6q
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我光用聽的就曉得來者的身分。121Please respect copyright.PENANA6W4nUyuYEI
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「早安,吉莎小姐。」我抬起頭朝聲音來源的方向打招呼。121Please respect copyright.PENANAdx684oXERM
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據說吉莎的腰上系著一條皮製腰帶,腰上還掛著兩只小陶杯以及一個銅製壺器,裡頭總是裝著殿下愛喝的飲料。每當她走動一步,掛在腰間上的陶杯就隨之震動,發出叮叮噹噹的清脆聲響。121Please respect copyright.PENANATG4zTflQrF
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「請用早點,海倫娜閣下。」121Please respect copyright.PENANAQnWFmnCcmt
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吉莎缺乏抑揚頓挫的嗓音自我面前響起,隨即傳來的則是陶碗與陶盤擺在地面時發出的清脆聲響。121Please respect copyright.PENANAp6cWzrtKLY
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「不好意思,吉莎小姐。」我對她說:「我就不享用餐點了。」121Please respect copyright.PENANAbR3RiVHpUa
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「喔,這又跟人類的宗教有關了?聽說叫做暴食罪啥的......除了病人或勞動階級之外,普通人不應該吃早餐。」121Please respect copyright.PENANAkeQWG6krlb
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「妳言重了。我們修女在隱修院內時常得做體力活,所以起床晨禱後會吃點東西果腹。出於宗教因素而禁用早餐一事其實是誤傳,最近也越來越多人習慣在早上吃東西了。」121Please respect copyright.PENANAlWmZUo1Gwj
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「可是奧絲雅閣下一開始很反對吃早餐,當初是我和殿下好說歹說她才接受的。」121Please respect copyright.PENANAzps7QGAsIo
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「她原本就是一名貴族,而且還是來自非常傳統保守的貴族家庭,因此不吃早餐相當符合她的身分地位。」我向吉莎解釋:「但您這裡提供的恐怕皆是宮廷料理,我身為至修女不該食用那麼精緻奢華的食物。我吃我自己帶來的麵包就好。」121Please respect copyright.PENANAVnlvv9YDIb
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「請放心,我特別為海倫娜閣下準備了符合您原本『身分地位』的食物。」121Please respect copyright.PENANAUxVt8uqAmU
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「咦?這話的意思是——」121Please respect copyright.PENANAKd6nfE7NbU
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「您品嚐一口便知,直接用手取食即可。」121Please respect copyright.PENANAZnB4Cg8UEI
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我伸出手,摸到一種薄如聖體餅的扁形麵包,放進嘴裡咀嚼時平淡無味,適度軟嫩的餅皮卻不會乾硬得難以下嚥。吉莎還同時準備了添加奶酪和酸奶飲料,替這道菜增添一點風味。121Please respect copyright.PENANACMp2QYx9rO
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「請問還合您的胃口嗎,海倫娜閣下?」121Please respect copyright.PENANAavCYSC5Pvn
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「非常美味。」我誠實以對,「這餅的味道樸素得宛如黑麥麵包,卻又帶有一股異國風情。我從未吃過這種東西。」121Please respect copyright.PENANAqhyuwkHF7E
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「這是獸族常吃的一種家常餅,通常他們會佐以肉湯汁、鷹嘴豆泥或芝麻醬等配料搭配著吃。獨自食用的話它的口感稍嫌單調,不過正好符合您的需求。」121Please respect copyright.PENANALDQkYNYXVq
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「是的,我想這種食物應該不會......違背赤足修院的教義。」121Please respect copyright.PENANArdhbgmotAv
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「我當然也會準備您過去在修道院吃的麵包或蔬果,午餐或晚餐則提供清淡的白米粥或肉粥配青菜沙拉。但我勸您最好開始習慣獸族的飲食習慣,畢竟您現在有一半的身分是殿下的母獅。請您別忘記這一點。」121Please respect copyright.PENANAy0CG4wfnJe
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「我知道了,謝謝妳這麼費心。」我深深地點頭致意,說:「想必王子殿下待人時展現出來的細心之舉,鐵定是從吉莎小姐那耳濡目染學來的。」121Please respect copyright.PENANAKH1e2XWFZa
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「哼,如果您這麼當面稱讚王子殿下,那孩子會得意忘形起來,尾巴啪噠啪噠地甩來甩去。」121Please respect copyright.PENANAYPoMFiJn58
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嗯?我記得奧絲雅也說過同樣的話。我暗暗心想著,獅子尾巴有那麼惹人注目嗎?真讓人好奇。121Please respect copyright.PENANA4Lqdinfd6c
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「總之,我就不打擾您用餐。」121Please respect copyright.PENANAbsvmOjTgl3
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語畢,陶杯之間的撞擊聲再度響起。121Please respect copyright.PENANAyUlwGvqwIr
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這次它是逐漸離我遠去,代表吉莎正要離開房間。121Please respect copyright.PENANAs7giVStubT
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「對了,吉莎小姐。」我出聲叫住她。121Please respect copyright.PENANA5Eu7G8cZ6m
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「請問有什麼吩咐嗎?」121Please respect copyright.PENANAq70Balr8Cr
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「這麼問或許有些唐突——」我猶豫了幾秒,接著才開口問道:「您有什麼希望得到或期望的事物嗎?」121Please respect copyright.PENANA9WscTFCBE8
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「假如殿下順利成為獸族帝國的皇帝,我就感到謝天謝地了。」她立刻回答我。121Please respect copyright.PENANAJbERbR5SM0
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「有沒有更加私人一點的東西呢?」我再問。121Please respect copyright.PENANAS7k9N7B2Lk
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「假如殿下的行為更可靠一點,我就不會這麼累了。」121Please respect copyright.PENANAMuUjSe0IHt
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吉莎的期望之物感覺跟殿下有所關聯,看來她真的很在乎對方!121Please respect copyright.PENANAObCK0bG4Zi
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「真要說的話......孩子......吧?」121Please respect copyright.PENANA1IyFsb5Jxg
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沉默了一會兒,吉莎才以淡淡的口吻低語。121Please respect copyright.PENANAakKcXTHlZw
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聽見這個回答,我不由地露出微笑。看來她就跟其他普通女孩子一樣,渴望著美滿的家庭人生。121Please respect copyright.PENANACLVcMggbJA
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緊接著,兩只陶杯輕碰彼此的聲音重新迴盪起來,吉莎卻仍在喃喃自語著,不過我幾乎快聽不見她模糊的聲音了。121Please respect copyright.PENANAqFE5CN0yMn
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所以——121Please respect copyright.PENANACBuMzoredh
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「假如妳和奧絲雅能懷上王子殿下的孩子,也許能讓他更成熟一點。呵呵呵......」121Please respect copyright.PENANAeRshjp4E8b
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所以,這句意義不明話我大概是聽錯了吧?